Medical dressings and uses thereof

Abstract

This invention provides compositions and methods of treating subjects with wounds. Compositions include dressings comprising a sheet and an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is adhered to the sheet, and wherein the sheet has channels. In some embodiments, the channels comprise two different classes of channels (e.g. liquid channels and air channels). These dressing can be applied to various kinds of skin injuries and remain affixed, protecting the injury from contaminants and at the same time, allowing exchange of exudates on the proximal (injury) side to the distal side and exchange of topical agents applied from the distal side of the dressing to the wound while also allowing exchange of gasses from the injury to the air and air to the wound.

We claim: 
     
       1. A dressing comprising a sheet and an adhesive, wherein:
 a. the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive and is adhered to the sheet, 
 b. (i) the sheet comprises sheet material, (ii) the sheet has channels forming a channel zone; (iii) the sheet has a proximal side comprising a surface area, and a distal side comprising a surface area, and (iv) the sheet material demonstrates at least water permeability; 
 c. the channels (i) traverse the sheet from the proximal side to the distal side at an angle; (ii) are 1 to 160,000 in number per cm 2  of the distal side surface area; and (iii) have a diameter of 25 μm to about 10 mm; 
 d. the adhesive, the sheet, and the dressing are dermatologically acceptable; 
 e. the channel angle is from 20 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the sheet; 
 f. the sheet has a length and a width; 
 g. the adhesive is adhered to the proximal side of the sheet; 
 h. the sheet material is rayon; 
 i. the sheet material without the channels consists of: an air permeability of 0.01 cm 3 /s/cm 2  to 1000 cm 3 /s/cm 2 ; and a moisture vapor permeability of at least 500 gms/m 2 /24 hours when measured at 37 degrees C. and 100% to 10% relative humidity; and 
 j. the dressing has a plurality of channel zones and a plurality of non-perforation zones of at least 0.5 cm width running parallel to a periphery measured along the width of the dressing wherein at least one of the non-perforation zones is positioned between channel zones of the plurality of channel zones. 
 
     
     
       2. A method of treating a wound comprising the steps of
 applying the dressing of  claim 1  to skin; 
 washing the wound or adding a topical agent to the distal side of the dressing, and 
 keeping the wound covered with the dressing for at least 10 days without removing the dressing. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the dressing is not removed from the skin for at least 10 days. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the dressing is not removed from the skin for at least 20 days. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the wound is a pressure sore. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the dressing has a width of at least 20 cm. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2  further comprising providing an adhesive solution and a topical agent wherein the topical agent and the adhesive solution are admixed; and applying the admixture to the skin in an area to come in contact with a periphery of the dressing thereby reducing occurrences of the dressing becoming unattached to a wound area at the periphery. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pressure sore is a bed sore or a wheel chair-induced pressure sore. 
     
     
       9. The dressing of  claim 1  wherein the sheet material is nonwoven rayon. 
     
     
       10. The dressing of  claim 1  wherein the dressing further comprises an extract of one or more of jatropha, kelp, and hemp. 
     
     
       11. The dressing of  claim 1  wherein a sum of surface areas defined by apertures of the channels is between 0.01% and 10% of a total surface area defined by the sheet. 
     
     
       12. The dressing of  claim 1  wherein the dressing has a tensile strength at break of 5 lbs per inch width (89 kg/meter width), wherein the sheet is a thickness of between 0.05 and 0.25 mm, and wherein the dressing is elongatable in a range of 20% to 30%. 
     
     
       13. The dressing of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more topical agents, optionally wherein the one or more topical agents are selected from the group consisting of an anti-itch compound, an anti-inflammatory agent, an antibiotic, an anti-fungal agent, an anti-cancer agent, an antiviral agent, a natural marine extract, a natural biologic agent, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
       14. The dressing of  claim 1 , wherein other than the sheet, the adhesive, and an optional liner, the dressing comprises no other material layers. 
     
     
       15. The dressing of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet does not contain an intervening compartment. 
     
     
       16. The dressing of  claim 1 , wherein the length is longer than the width.